Figure skating coach Eteri Tutberidze is set to be a mentor on the new social reality show Big Girls, which premieres on Friday February 9. The announcement came from TASS, noting that the program will feature a group of challengers seeking to transform their lives through weight loss and dedicated training, with Tutberidze among the guiding mentors for the contestants.
According to the network’s press service, thirteen participants, each carrying more than 100 kilograms, will embark on a journey to reshape their bodies and habits. Tutberidze will join the cast of mentors, offering her expertise and demanding approach to help the competitors push past barriers and pursue healthier futures while pursuing personal goals in the face of tough scrutiny and growing public attention.
Tutberidze began her career on the ice at a young age. At eighteen, she toured as a performer in ice shows across the United States before turning to coaching. Her path also included completing two higher education degrees, a pursuit that complemented her on-ice intuition with broader academic insight and a strategic approach to athlete development.
Over the years, Tutberidze has become closely associated with a generation of world-class skaters. She has guided Evgenia Medvedeva, a two-time world champion and Olympic silver medalist, as well as Olympic champion Yulia Lipnitskaya, and notable talents such as Alina Zagitova and Anna Shcherbakova. Her coaching portfolio also includes European champion Alena Kostornaya, European Championship medalist Sergei Voronov, and the rising star Alexandra Trusova. The results achieved by these skaters under her mentorship have contributed to a distinctive, high-intensity training lineage that emphasizes precision, fearless technique, and relentless work ethic.
Outside the rink, Tutberidze’s influence extends to her family. Her daughter, Diana Davis, has pursued figure skating and competes internationally with partner Gleb Smolkin, representing Georgia in various events. Davis’s involvement in the sport reflects the enduring legacy of Tutberidze’s coaching philosophy and the emphasis on performance, resilience, and discipline that characterizes their shared journey in the skating world.
Previously, public statements from respected coaches in the discipline suggested that Tutberidze’s artistic direction occasionally met with mixed reactions, but the core focus of her work remains firmly on developing elite skaters and helping them translate technical excellence into competitive success. The Big Girls show appears to place her in a mentorship role that aligns with her reputation for pushing athletes to maximize their potential while navigating the pressures that accompany high-level competition, media scrutiny, and personal growth outside the arena.